6 January 2015. Two Harbors, Minnesota

Weather forecasters in Minnesota were warning of an “Arctic front” arriving on January 2, 2015. For most people in the state, this meant getting all out-door chores done before the five-day cold front would arrive, but for Lake Superior surfers it meant check the wind and wave forecasts. Sure enough, the forecast called for near gale-force north winds over the night of January 2, ensuring some wind-swell on the southern parts of Lake Superior on the Morning of January 3. The forecast also called for a Wind-chill Advisory, warning that frostbite can occur in as little as 15 minutes of exposure to -30 degree wind-chill. This left Lake Superior surfers asking one question: Are the seals in my wetsuit still good?

https://www.facebook.com/pages/SToNeY-PoiNT-surf-spot/197143503658270On the morning of January 3, there were about half a dozen surfers with the right gear and enough gumption (or stupidity) to paddle out at Stoney Point. The waves were pretty small and water levels were too high for the reef to really do its thing, but the tight crew of Stoney Point surfers enjoyed the first swell of 2015.

Photographer Christian Dalbec has become a regular on the shores of Stoney Point, snapping photos of Lake Superior surfers when swells arrive, and once again he was there to capture some stunning images of the Stoney Point crew enjoying 2015’s inaugural swell.

Surf Park technology just hit the sweet spot courtesy of the PerfectSwell system at BSR (Barefoot Ski Ranch) in Waco, TX. At first there was Wavegarden, then NLand, then Kelly’s Pro Surf Contest and now the BSR Surf Resort

For a skateboarder, sometimes a sea of concrete is pure heaven. But what happens when you set a skatepark down in the middle of heaven itself? The transitions you skate give way to a beautiful destination that inspires the soul. Here are 10 parks you’ll want to surf with your skateboard.